Sands of Time
by Lil Grrl Bleu
Summary: What if something from your past came back with a force that left you breathless? A LukeTracy story.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Sands of Time

Author: Mackenzie

Email: "General Hospital"

Category: Luke/Tracy; General

Spoilers: Everything, just to be safe.

Disclaimers: I don't own anything except for original characters.

Author's Notes: EXTREMELY alternate reality. This story takes place in somewhat present day, only Alan is alive, Laura never went catatonic and she wound up remarrying Scott Baldwin and the whole "who killed Rick Webber?" thing has never happened. Another thing, Lulu isn't 18 in this story, she's her actual age, which is 12.

-1-

Tracy Quartermaine-Spencer sat within the confines of the wing chair in the Quartermaine living room, lost in her own thoughts. On her lap, sat an envelope, a letter peeking out. Ever since it arrived a few weeks prior, she's transfixed herself on the past. Looming in the doorway was her husband, Luke Spencer.

Watching his wife, Spencer couldn't help but mask his concern. He definitely picked up something on his radar that was out of the ordinary. Luke cleared his throat softly to get her attention, "Trace."

Jolted back into reality, Tracy quickly tucked letter into the chair and looked at her husband, "Have you made it a habit of spying on me, Luke?"

"Spying?" Spencer walked in and gently moved Tracy's feet aside and sat down on the ottoman in front of her. "I am a concerned husband, Spanky, watching his wife, wondering what the hell is going on."

Tracy looked at her husband for several minutes. Nodding silently, she stood up and walked over to the doorway, checking to see if any of her family was lingering around in the wings. Once the coast was clear, the woman walked back in and sat down, facing her husband, speaking softly, "I have a confession to make."

Luke sighed deeply, "I hate it when women start conversations like that," he admitted. "Laura started a conversation like that, right before she told me about Nikolas." Pausing, hoping to get a smile out of her, he added, "You didn't have an affair with a Cassadine, did you?"

"No," Tracy said, "I had an affair with a Spencer."

Looking at her, her husband had a face of confusion, "I don't get it... It's not an affair if we are married."

Sighing heavily, the woman stood up and began to pace, her fingers kneading her forehead. "Luke, I don't think I have to remind you what happened twenty-eight years ago," turning, she faced him, "do I?"

Luke looked at her, speaking softly, "You were engaged to marry Mitch... I worked for Smith... it's ancient history, Tracy."

"Ancient," Tracy repeated. "Only not dead and buried."

Luke sighed as he stood up, "Wife, I'm having a hard time going where you are going. So how about you quit the melodramatics and just tell me what the hell is going on?"

"You and I slept together," Tracy blurted. "Mitch and I had had a fight, a big one. I was upset, I went to your disco and you were there talking to Laura while she waited for Scott, remember?"

Luke swallowed audibly and then nodded, quietly, "I do."

Keeping her eyes on him, she spoke softly, "Scotty picked up Laura and it was just you and I. You had some song playing, I think it was a Gloria Gaynor song or something. Anyway," sighing again, she leaned against the wall, "we had sex, and I got pregnant."

Luke looked at her, his eyes wide, stunned, "What? How?"

Giving him a look, she responded, "I don't think I need to review the birds and the bees with you, Luke."

Taking in a quiet breath, the man stood up and walked over and closed the doors so they could have more privacy. Approaching his wife, he looked at her, speaking softly, "Tracy, what happened to the baby?"

"I put her up for adoption," she whispered softly. "Daddy assumed it was Mitch's baby and Mitch refused to acknowledge it, so he sent me away to California where I gave birth to our daughter. I immediately signed the papers and a social worker picked her up while I was asleep."

Luke took a step back and then turned his back, pacing the room, "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because we were kids, Luke! You weren't even close to being ready to be a father, and I was too selfish to be a mother. Plus, you were fawning over Laura. Besides, you left shortly after Mitch was killed and I was too upset to even bring up the topic."

He turned and looked at her, "You've had twenty-eight years, Tracy, to tell me."

"Yeah," Tracy admitted, "and let's take a look at what happened in those twenty-eight years. You were married to Laura for twenty of those, had two kids with her, you two went on the run for years, living in Canada and God only knows where else, I had Ned and Dillon, I was banished from my family, you and Laura divorced, Laura remarried Scott, I left Port Charles and lived in Paris for twelve years... need I go on?"

Luke shook his head, holding his hand up, "You should have told me! My kid has been out there for almost thirty years and I've never met her! I don't even know her name!"

"Layla," Tracy said quietly. "Her name is Layla."

Taken aback, he looked at her, softly, "How do you know?"

Walking back over to the chair, Tracy dug the letter out and walked over to him. Taking a deep breath, she handed it to him, quietly, "She sent me this letter. She wants to meet her biological parents."

Too stunned to speak, Luke walked over and sat down, slowly pulling the letter out. Unfolding it, the man lowered his eyes down onto the paper and read the words written in the girlish handwriting of a daughter foreign to him. "It doesn't say whether or not she got into a good home," he observed quietly, "just that she's going to be in New York for a seminar. It says nothing about if she's married, had kids..."

"Luke," Tracy said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I'm going to Manhattan. I want to meet her. I want you to come with me."

Nodding quietly, he folded up the paper and handed it back to her, "I need to let Laura know where I am, so she doesn't worry. Also, I want to tell Lulu that I'm going to be out of town for a few days, so she doesn't think I just disappeared. I don't want to remake the mistakes I made with her."

Tracy nodded quietly, "I haven't said anything yet to Ned, Dillon, or anybody else. I don't want to make it known until we get back."

"No, that's a good idea," Luke said. Leaning in, his brushed his lips across his wife's cheek, "I'm going to go see my kid. I'll be back in a few hours."

Watching her husband leave, Tracy sat back down in the chair again, once again losing herself in her thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

-2-

Layla Higgens barrelled around the corner of Los Angeles County Hospital. Her body clad in soft blue scrubs, she reached into her pocket and pulled her stethoscope out and swung it up around the neck just as she walked into an exam room in the ER. "What do we got?"

Her colleague, Dr. Marcus Travis, glanced at the woman only a fraction of a second as he began to examine the eight year old girl on the table. "Car accident. She was with her dad and they were hit by a drunk driver."

Layla nodded as she began to check the girl's vitals, "How's dad?"

"In the morgue."

The female doctor sighed heavily as she closed her eyes, "Great. Has the mother been notified?"

Dr. Travis nodded, "She's en route now. She was in West Hollywood." Stopping, he glanced at the other doctor, "You should be in Manhattan. Sturgis sent you for that seminar. What are you still doing here?"

Layla sighed and shook her head. At twenty-eight, she was a striking woman with piercing blue eyes and a mass of reddish-brown hair that she kept in curls that fell to her shoulders, framing her heart-shaped face. "I'm chicken."

Mark sighed and shook his own head and then glanced at a nurse who was approaching them, "Get her up to OR2 and page Dr. Fields. He's the neuro on call."

The nurse glanced at Layla, confusion on her face, "But Dr. Higgens is right here."

"Dr. Higgens is on her way out because she has to make a flight out of LAX to La Guardia. Dr. Fields is more than competent."

Before Layla could protest any further, Dr. Travis had grabbed her by the elbow and escorted her out of the exam room. "Layla, go to New York. Meet with Sturgis and then meet your parents."

Layla stopped and looked at Mark, "How did you know about that?"

"My eyes and ears are everywhere. Besides, I heard you and Fischer talking about it last night at the club." He gave her a wink, to which she rolled her eyes.

Running a hand through her hair, she looked at her friend, "I'm scared, Mark."

"Don't be. Everything will be fine." Stopping, he leaned in and kissed her cheek, "I need to go, I'm late for surgery."

Sighing deeply, Layla watched at the other doctor sprinted down the hall towards the operating room before heading out of the hospital so she could get to the airport.

----------------------------------------------

Luke Spencer pulled into the driveway of 24 Royal Street, cut his engine and sighed as he looked at the house. Still in awe that his ex-wife chose to share the home that he shared with her with her new husband, all Luke could do was simply shake his head.

Getting out of the car, Spencer walked up to the porch and rang the bell and was greeted by the sound of feet running towards the door. He couldn't help but smile as a blonde haired bundle of energy flew open the door. "Daddy!"

Grinning at his daughter, Luke walked over and gave Lulu a hug and planted a kiss on her forehead, "Hello, buttercup, where's your mom?"

"In the kitchen with Grandma and Scott."

Unable to hide the disdain on his face, Luke sighed, "Great. Can't wait." Walking into the house, he closed the door behind him and then stopped and looked around. It always caught him off guard every time he walked into the house. Following Lulu into the kitchen, he stopped in the door way, just long enough to see his ex-wife spreading some pale green icing on a sugar cookie, "How's my favorite ex-wife?"

Scott Baldwin, who was seated in a chair with a paper, groaned, "God." Sighing, he closed the paper and folded it in half, "What the hell do you want, Spencer?"

"Not you," Luke quipped back as he walked over and kissed Laura's cheek. "I need to talk to you."

Laura smiled quietly and nodded, "Just let me wash my hands."

Nodding, Luke glanced at Lesley and smiled, "Hey, Les." Gesturing to the cookies, he asked, "You have any extras?"

"For you, Luke?" Lesley smiled, "Always. I'll put a few together for you on a plate while you and Laura chat."

Smiling at his former mother-in-law, Luke caught sight of his daughter and Scott out of the corner of his eye. As much as he hated it, the two had grown close. Sighing quietly, he smiled as he saw Laura approach him. "Come on," she said, ushering him out of the kitchen, "We can talk in the living room."

Luke gave her a smile as they went into the other room, "You look beautiful, angel. Then again, you always have. How a beautiful creature such as yourself wound up with two ugly mutts, I'll never understand."

Laura laughed quietly as she sat down on the couch, "Yeah well, I fell in love, what can I say? What's up?"

Sitting down next to her, Luke began, "Tracy and I are going up to Manhattan for a bit. We're leaving tomorrow. I wanted you to know so you wouldn't think I disappeared."

The woman nodded, "What's in Manhattan?"

Not wanting to divulge the secret just yet, Luke smiled, "Oh, you know Tracy and how she likes shopping. She's dragging me along this time."

Laura smiled at her ex-husband fondly, "There's more than you are telling me." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "But I won't pry."

Luke gave her a quiet smile and then stood up, "All will be revealed, baby, just give us a little time. Kiss my little girl for me."

"You're leaving?" Laura asked as she stood up, "My mother's putting a bundle of cookies together for you."

"I know," he said, "but then I'd have to look in Lulu's baby blues and explain to her why I'm going to be gone, and I really don't want to have to do that. Just have Les freeze them and I'll pick them up when I get back." Leaning in, he kissed his wife's cheek and walked out of the house.


	3. Chapter 3

-3-

Tracy let out a soft sigh as she threw in a bottle of shampoo into the suitcase. "Finally come to your senses and are going to leave that husband of yours?"

Whipping around, she came into contact with her eldest son, "Nice of you to remember who your family is."

Smirking at his mother, Ned Ashton walked in and came up behind her and kissed her cheek, "Nice to see you too, mother."

"I'm not leaving, Luke," Tracy declared as she looked at him, "He's my husband and I love him."

"He's a gold digger," Ned accused.

"So am I," his mother said, "so we make a great couple. And Luke isn't a gold digger, he's got money of his own, he takes care of himself and his children."

"Really?" Ned asked, "Since when? Because all I remember is a guy who would take off on a whim and leave his wife to tend to their children."

Sighing once more, Tracy went back to her packing, "I don't have time for this, Ned. I've got a lot on my mind."

"Like what?"

"That's my business."

Ashton sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. Leaning against a table, he watched as his mother packed, "Can you at least tell me where it is you are going?"

"No she can not," a voice said from the doorway.

Tracy and Ned turned around to see Luke leaning against the doorjamb. Looking at his wife, his voice took on a softer tone, "You about ready?"

Tracy nodded, "You speak to Laura?"

"I did."

His wife nodded again as she zipped up the small bag, "Okay, then, I'm ready."

Ned just looked from his mother to his step father--a relation that he still had a hard time adjusting too--with confusion on his face. "Will somebody please explain to me just what the hell is going on?"

"Ned, I promise, everything will be sorted out when we get back," Tracy said as she went over and kissed her son's cheek, "I love you, we'll see you in a few days. If you see Dillon, tell him I love him too."

"Tell Spielberg to stay away from my kid," Luke said.

"Let's go," Tracy said, nudging her husband out of the room with a sigh.

----------------------------------------------

Tracy and Luke sat in silence next to each other on the shuttle into Manhattan. After a twenty minute silence, Tracy sighed, "This is ridiculous. We've still got forty minutes, are we going to spend it not talking?"

Lifting a brow at his wife, Luke asked softly, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, we do have a child in common, perhaps we should talk about that."

"A child that you neglected to tell me about for almost thirty years," Luke pointed out.

Tracy sighed softly, rubbing the bridge of her nose, quietly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Luke. I was wrong."

"Yes, wife, you were." Luke agreed solemnly.

"I'm sorry!" She repeated, "I was young and stupid. Haven't you ever done something that you seriously regretted for the rest of your life when you were young?"

Luke immediately flashed back to a night. A night twenty-eight years ago.

------------------------

_**1979**_

Luke was barely aware of the fact that Laura Baldwin crawled on her hands and knees, sobbing, towards the door. Running his hands through his mass of blonde curls, the now rapist let out a cry of utter humiliation, remorse and self loathing.

Hearing the soft clicking sound of the door shutting, Spencer walked back around the bar and grabbed a bottle of his favorite poison, scotch. Unscrewing the lid, he quickly swigged down a generous swallow. Walking into his office, he slammed the door and settled down in the chair behind his desk for a long night of drinking.

------------------------------------

"Luke?"

Luke was jolted back to the present and he looked at his wife, softly, "What did you say?"

Tracy sighed quietly in annoyance, "Have you ever done something when you were younger that you regretted for the rest of your life?"

Hoping to skirt around the issue, he shrugged, "Doesn't everybody?"

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"What was it?" Tracy asked.

Luke sighed, "Wife, are you ready to completely open up your life to me and let me go over it with a damn good magnifying glass?"

Tracy thought for a moment, "No," she admitted.

"Well, neither am I."

That said, the two fell back into the pattern they were in earlier, complete and total silence.


	4. Chapter 4

-4-

Tracy glanced over at Luke and watched as he slept, oblivious to the fact that everybody was departing the shuttle around him. Once they were the last two still on, she leaned over and softly planted a kiss on her husband's cheek. "Luke."

Luke slowly awoke and looked around and saw they were alone on the shuttle, "How long was I out?"

"Only twenty minutes."

He nodded silently as he sat up and slowly got himself reorientated. Sighing heavily, he looked at her, "Why are we the only ones still on the shuttle, wife?"

"Because I didn't want to wake you till I absolutely had to. You are actually kind of cute when you aren't drinking my father's booze."

Luke rolled his eyes, "I love you too, Spanky. Let's blow this joint, we gotta kid to meet."

Nodding, Tracy grabbed her purse and slowly followed Luke off the shuttle. Once they stepped on the platform, Spencer looked around, "Where are we meeting her?"

"Well, she was flying into LaGuardia, and she said she was going to meet us at Carmine's for drinks."

"Great," Luke said dryly, "We'll get hammered as we hash out the good old days."

The woman sighed deeply as they flagged down a taxi, "You know, Luke, you aren't exactly Mr. Innocent yourself."

"Well, I'm sorry, Tracy, it's just that you are the second wife I've had to keep a kid from me. I'm starting to get a little pissed off here."

"Luke," Tracy said quietly, putting a hand on her husband's arm to get his attention, "this is an entirely different situation. Laura was kidnapped and slept with her captor, I did not. I legally gave my baby--"

"Our baby," Luke interrupted.

"Our baby," she corrected herself with a sigh, "I legally gave her up for adoption. To me, that chapter of my life was closed thirty years ago. I had made peace with it. Layla was the one who contacted me. Please, don't compare me to Laura. All my life, I've never been treated like I were my own individual."

"I just need some time to wrap my mind around this, Tracy. This was thrown at me out of left field."

She nodded, "I understand."

Walking side by side, the two haled a cab and made their way to Carmine's, each nervous about what laid ahead.

Layla sat down in a booth at Carmine's on 44th Street in Manhattan. Sighing quietly, she pushed aside the burgundy linen napkin and tried not to seem so anxious. Glancing around, she spotted a waiter and flagged him over and then rewarded him with a smile when he got to the table. "Apple martini, please."

Smiling softly as she watched the waiter walk towards the bar to place the order, Layla let out a sigh as she reached into her bag and pulled out a file to go over as she waited.

"Do we even know what she looks like?" Luke whispered in his wife's ear as they entered the restaurant.

"No," Tracy admitted, before adding, "However, Layla said she'd be wearing an emerald green dress."

Spencer nodded as he placed a hand on the small of his wife's back, gently rubbing. Sighing, he looked around the crowded restaurant and spotted a young woman seated in a booth, clad in a green wrap dress. "Think that's her?"

Tracy's eyes followed where her husband was gesturing, "She seems about the right age. I guess we can always take a stab in the dark."

Luke nodded again as the two approached the young woman. Clearing his throat, Luke spoke softly, "Layla?"

Layla quickly set her file down and glanced up at the man and woman who were staring down at her. Taking in a deep breath, she slowly exhaled as she stood up, nodding, looking between the man and the woman, trying to quickly determine who she resembles, "Mr. and Mrs. Spencer?"

Luke nodded silently and extended his hand to the woman, "Luke, please."

Layla nodded as she shook his hand and Tracy gave her a smile, "And I'm Tracy."

Nodding again, she tucked a blonde ringlet behind an ear and Tracy grinned at her, "I see you were cursed with your father's curls."

Luke smiled at her, "My apologies."

Layla laughed quietly as she gestured for them to have a seat, "I've ordered myself an apple martini, can I get either of you something?"

Luke glanced up at the waiter who had mysteriously appeared, "Bourbon," he said.

The waiter nodded as he jotted down the order and then glanced at Tracy, "And you, ma'am?"

"I'll just have a white wine, thanks," Tracy answered.

The waiter drifted back towards the bar, leaving the trio alone. Luke and Tracy stared at their daughter, mesmerized by her. "So, what is it that you do?" Luke asked.

Layla smiled quietly, "I'm a cardiologist in Los Angeles. I'm actually in New York for a seminar as well as this meeting."

"One of my kids is a doctor," Luke grinned at Tracy.

Layla laughed quietly, "So you two have other children?"

"Not together," Tracy responded. "I have two sons from previous marriages and Luke has a son and a daughter from his previous marriage. Your father and I weren't married when you were born. We actually only got married a few years ago."

"Ah," Layla said with a nod, sipping her drink, "So I was the result of a drunken tumble in the hay?"

Luke chucked quietly, "Something like that," he said.

The younger woman nodded, "I see... Now it makes perfect sense."

"What does?" Tracy asked.

"Why I was given up." Layla responded, looking at her new found parents, "The two of you didn't want the burden of me."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Luke said quickly, "That's unfair, Layla. I didn't know about you until forty-eight hours ago. Your mother gave you up for adoption because she was young and inexperienced when it came to child rearing."

Layla glanced down at her bright green drink, "Do either of you want to know what kind of a home I grew up in?"

Luke and Tracy nodded, "We do," Tracy said quietly.

"My father raped me when I was nine," she said.

Luke flinched visibly and then his hands formed tight fists as he waited for her to continue. Layla took a deep breath, not looking at either of them, the bitterness still apparent after the passed years, "It happened from the time I was nine until I was fourteen, when I stopped it."

Tracy swallowed the lump in her throat as she reached a hand slowly across the table and placed it on Layla's, quietly, "How did you stop it?"

"One afternoon," she began softly, "After he was done with me..."

Luke closed his eyes, his mind briefly flashing back to a different time.

_**1999**_

"And then when it was over and I looked at you--"

"You mean when you were done," Laura corrected softly.

Luke closed his eyes, whispering softly, "When I was done, I looked at you. I reached for you. And you made this sound, this sound like a kid who knows nothing but beatings. And I knew then. I knew the price I'd have to pay, and I was willing to pay it. And I've been like a man with a noose around his neck waiting for the hangman to come ever since, but he never comes. Why is that?"

Luke opened his eyes and swallowed hard, paying attention to Layla's words.

"After he was done with me, he had passed out on top of me in a drunken stupor. I reached across the bed and opened the bedside table drawer and pulled a gun out." Taking a deep breath, Layla finally looked away from her glowing green drink and looked at her parents. Clearing her throat, it was clear to Tracy that she had found a new piece of confidence, "I cocked the gun and said to myself no more. No more would this man come into my room at night and put his dirty, grimy, smelly hand over my mouth and lift my nightgown with his other, no more would this man ever think of doing to another girl what he had done to me for five long, agonizing years. I made Colt Higgens pay his price. I placed that gun at the back of his head and pulled the trigger."

"Dear god," Tracy whispered softly, a tear falling.

"Afterwards," Layla said quietly, "when the police were questioning me, I excused myself to the bathroom. There was a window in that bathroom and I opened it and jumped out and ran. I just kept running until I was out of Nebraska."

"Excuse me," Luke said abruptly, feeling the bile rise in his throat. Tossing his napkin down, he quickly pushed his chair back and stood up and raced through the restaurant towards the exit.

Watching her husband in concern, Tracy looked at Layla, "Would you excuse me for just one moment please? He must have had something that didn't agree with him."

Layla nodded, confusion clouding her eyes as Tracy stood up and quickly made her way through the restaurant, following her husband. Stepping outside, Tracy looked around and followed the sounds of a man retching to the side of the restaurant. Stopping, she watched as Luke threw up, sobbing at the same time. Unsure if she should disturb him, she saw him look around for something to wipe his mouth. Tracy reached into her purse and pulled out a small package of Kleenex and walked up behind him, handing it to him, quietly, "Husband, what's going on?"

Luke sighed as he stood up erect, his back facing her as he fumbled to open up the plastic package of tissues, "Something I ate came back to bite me in the butt."

"That explains the vomiting, but not the crying." Tracy reached out and placed a soft hand on her husband's shoulder, whispering, "Why were you crying?"

Luke shook his head, wiping his mouth with the Kleenex. "Please," he said softly, "not here." Turning, he looked at his wife and saw the confusion and concern in his eyes. Sighing quietly, he reached out and cupped her face with his hand, "Later," he promised softly.

Tracy nodded, quietly, "Can we go back in?"

Her husband gave her a quiet smile and a nod as they walked back inside.


	5. Chapter 5

-5-

Luke and Tracy walked back into Carmine's amid looks of concern from patrons and staff who saw Luke bolt out so quickly. A member of the restaurant management discreetly walked over to Tracy, "Does your husband need for us to call for a doctor, Ma'am?"

Tracy smiled softly and shook her head, "No, he's fine, thank you."

Luke sighed as he sat down at the table and looked apologetically at Layla, "I'm sorry, I ate something earlier that didn't agree with me and the liquor just wrecked havoc on my stomach."

Layla nodded and smiled gently, "I ordered you some sprite, it may help."

Luke gave her a small, gracious smile as Tracy sat down, "Thank you."

"So," Tracy began, "a cardiologist? Your aunt is a cardiologist as well."

Layla smiled broadly, "Oh?"

Nodding, the other woman's hand slid under the table and rested on her husband's knee. "Yes. Her name is Monica Quartermaine, my brother, Alan, is also a doctor."

Luke squeezed Tracy's hand before adding, "And my sister, Barbara Jean, is a nurse."

"Wow," Layla said, impressed, "maybe the quest for medicinal knowledge does run through my blood."

"Sure sounds like it," Luke smiled. "It's funny to me that your name begins with an 'l'. My previous wife's name was Laura, and my kids names are Lucky and Lesley Lu, but we call her Lulu."

Layla laughed, "Nice alliteration." Glancing at Tracy, she asked, "What are your sons' names?"

"Dillon and Ned," she answered. "You also have a grandfather and two cousins."

"Three." Luke corrected.

"Two," she responded, giving her husband a look, "Skye is not a Quartermaine."

"Alan adopted her," Luke pointed out.

Shaking her head, Tracy smiled, "Not one of his brighter moments, I'll assure you."

Spencer responded with a roll of his eyes and then turned his attention to Layla. "Are you married?"

His daughter shook her head, "Came close once, but walked in on my fiance with another woman."

"Ouch," Tracy said quietly.

Layla nodded, "Yeah, so that ended pretty quick," she laughed. "So what is Port Charles like?"

"Small," Luke said. "A little too small. One of those everybody always knows what is going on towns. It's like living in a damn soap opera there."

Tracy rolled her eyes , "It isn't that bad. We've got a big hospital, some shopping, corporate offices. It's actually very nice."

"It's small," Luke repeated.

Deciding to diffuse the situation, Layla asked another question, "What are your children like?"

"Lucky is a cop," Luke responded. "He's married and has a kid, one on the way and Lu is only twelve, so she's still in school. She lives part time with her mother and with me."

"So then you are close?"

He nodded, "Yeah, fairly. We're working on getting closer."

Layla looked at Tracy, "And are you close with your sons?"

Tracy nodded and smiled, "We are, yes. Dillon and I are very close. Ned and I are also close."

"That's nice," she smiled.

"Um, what about you?" Luke inquired, "Did you grow up with any brothers and sisters?"

Layla shook her head, "I was the only one Colt and Rachel adopted. Rachel got pregnant, but miscarried and later committed suicide. I was eight. It was shortly thereafter that..."

"Colt began abusing you," Luke finished.

The young woman nodded, "Yeah." Taking a deep breath, she looked at her parents, "I want to meet your other children." Tracy and Luke quickly looked at each other and Layla smiled softly, "They don't know about me, do they?"

"We didn't tell anybody," Tracy admitted, "We weren't sure of the outcome of today. Of course we want you to meet our family, but only if you think you are ready."

Layla nodded and smiled, "I think I am. I'm not due to be back in Los Angeles for a few weeks. I took some personal time, so they aren't expecting me."

"What about your seminar?" Luke asked.

"It's tomorrow, so I can attend it and then fax my findings."

Tracy nodded, "Well, you go to your seminar and Luke and I will find something to occupy ourselves with while you are there and then we can head to Port Charles afterwards."

Layla smiled, "Sounds good." Glancing at her watch, she looked at the pair in front of her, "I should probably get going. I still need to unpack."

Luke stood up and put some money down on the table to cover the drinks and then smiled at Layla, "It was wonderful to meet you. We're in the Plaza so feel free to call when you are free."

Layla smiled and nodded, "I will. Thanks for the drink."

Tracy stood up and impulsively gave her daughter a hug, "You take care."

A little startled by the hug, Layla returned it and smiled and left. Once they were alone, Luke looked at his wife, "Wife, let's go back to the hotel. We need to have a talk."

Tracy nodded as they walked out.


	6. Chapter 6

-6-

Luke and Tracy got back to their hotel in silence. Once they got up to the room, Tracy wordlessly shed her clothes and headed into the bathroom to take a steaming hot bubble bath as Luke helped himself to the mini-bar, needing the buzz of alcohol. Affected much more by Layla's story than he cared to admit, Spencer sighed deeply as he downed the bitter amber liquid which was poured in the glass.

Setting the glass on a table, he walked over to the closed bathroom door and gently rapped his knuckles against the wood, "Trace?"

Tracy sat up in the tub of bubbles and hot water, "Yes?"

Luke's voice was muffled from the other side, "Can I come in?"

Tracy ran some hot water up her upper arms, "Yes, of course."

Luke walked in the bathroom and stood still, watching his wife, "You are so beautiful."

The auburn haired woman blushed as she looked down for a moment and then lifted her eyes back up towards her husband, "How are you feeling? Better?"

Luke sighed as he leaned against the vanity, "Physically, for the moment, I feel fine. Emotionally, my stomach is running on roller coasters that is going up and down and in loops."

"Luke," she said quietly.

"Tracy, I need to tell you something and I can't do it if you interrupt me. I need you to just be silent and let me get it all out, because..." Luke stopped for a moment, struggling to find his words, "because if you say something, or react, or do anything while I do this, than I'll just clam up and we may never recover."

Tracy looked at her husband, softly, "Alright. Let me get out of the tub and dry off and get dressed and then you can tell me." Reaching down, she pulled the plug and the water began to rush down the drain. Getting out of the tub, she noticed as Luke turned his head away from her. Swallowing hard, Tracy reached for a towel and quickly dried off her body and put her pajamas on. "Okay," she sighed, "let's do this. Where do you want to do it?"

"Bedroom." Luke said simply as he walked out of the bathroom.

Following her husband, Tracy went in and sat down on the bed and watched as Luke sat down on the opposite corner, his back to her, "The night we conceived Layla was the worst night of my life."

"Well, gee, thanks, I love you too." Tracy remarked dryly.

Luke sighed, quietly, "Tracy, please. It had nothing to do with you. It had to do with what happened prior." Tracy nodded, silent for a change, waiting for him to continue. "When you came, you asked why my shirt was unbuttoned and why I was barefoot. You also wanted to know why the place was in disarray. You asked if something had happened, and I said no." Turning, Luke looked at his wife, "I lied to you, Tracy. Something did happen. Something significant. Something that will haunt me until the day I die. I was able to put that night away in the back of my head. I was able to convince myself that it had never happened, that I wasn't that animal. In a twisted way, you helped. You came into the disco wearing that flashy gold halter top and short black skirt. You were wearing those black go-go boots... God, you were so sexy. Your hair was up high and perfumed. You were the total opposite of her. She was the good girl and you were the bad girl."

"Who?" Tracy whispered quietly. "Who was the good girl, Luke?"

Turning his back to her again, Luke said quietly, "Laura." Luke stood up and began to pace. "What had happened before you came in had never happened again with any other woman on this planet, Tracy, it's important that not only you know that, but that you understand it. I don't condone my actions that night. I was weak. I was a pitiful excuse of a man. Hell, I wasn't even a man that night, I was a coward. She came to me, offering me her friendship, her compassion and I ripped everything from her in a split second. I didn't want to be her friend, I told her. I was angry with her, but I was more angry with myself. For falling in love with her. I told her she had me between two worlds that just did not mix. Look what you've done to me, I told her. Instead of being a man and accepting the blame, I threw it all on a seventeen-year-old girl. And that's when I did it. That's when I put the music on and that's when I forced her to dance with me, convinced that I'd never again hold her in my arms."

Tracy remained silent, a chill falling over her body as she listened to the ramblings of her guilt-ridden husband.

"I forced Laura to dance with me, and I kissed her and forced her to kiss me back. I could have stopped there. I easily could have stopped there, I wouldn't have ruined her life if I had stopped there. But I didn't. I wanted more. I had to have more. Because I'm a selfish man and one kiss is never enough for me. But Laura was young, and innocent and pure and beautiful, and definitely not mine. I didn't care. I wanted her. To me, she was the Holy Grail. A relic that had to be in my posession. She was wearing a skirt that night, which only served to drive me wild with desire. I felt things that night that I had never felt prior. My hand went up her skirt and I kicked some of it up, I saw the flash of young flesh and I went nuts, I was hungry for more. Without further thought, I pushed that woman down onto the floor of my disco and held her legs open and raped her. She screamed the entire time. 'No, Luke, no, stop, it hurts, stop, Luke, please, stop'... When I was finished, Laura was like a rag doll, discarded, dirty, broken. She made this sound, Tracy, this sound like an animal makes when it is in pain, when it is dying. I had done that to her. I did that."

The color drained from Tracy's face as she tried to imagine her husband committing such a brutal act upon another person. Her voice was soft, yet unwavering, "Continue."

Still unable to look at his wife, Luke was grateful that he wasn't standing in front of glass, for he was sure that the glass would reflect the tears which were streaming down his face, yet his voice was unchanged, not giving in to the emotion. "Laura ran out of the disco and to the park, where a policeman found her. She told them that the rape had happened there. She never named me. You came into the picture three hours after the fact. By then, I had went home, showered and came back and cleaned up the mess. You were standing there in that mini skirt that barely covered your ass and that top with the plunging neckline down to your navel. You wanted me. You made that abundantly clear. You didn't give a damn about Mitch Williams, hell, I knew you didn't even like me, you just wanted a lay. So I gave you one. I know I was rough with you, I saw the beginnings of the bruises as you were dressing. Yet you weren't crying. I punished myself, but it seemed to me that you wanted me to punish you as well."

"I did," she admitted in a whisper. "I was beating myself up because I didn't know what I wanted. I didn't know who I wanted. I had heard Amy Vining talking about you when I went to see Alan at the hospital. I wanted to see it for myself." Tracy slowly got out of bed and walked around it and stood before her husband, looking at him, speaking quietly, "You made a mistake, Luke. A horrible, horrible mistake. Obviously, you and Laura moved on. You two married and had children and were together for twenty years. It's clear that she forgave you and loved you despite it. Was it Stockholm Syndrome?" Tracy nodded, "Yeah, maybe it was. In the beginning. But that quickly turned to a pure and genuine love. Luke, anybody with eyes could see that the two of you adored each other."

Luke looked at her, speaking softly, "Why aren't you running for the hills? Or at the very least, why aren't you in a different corner on the opposite side of the room, edging towards the door?"

"Because you are my husband," Tracy said, reaching up and wiping his tears with the pads of her thumbs, "and I love you more this very second than I have ever loved you before. You aren't the man you were twenty years ago, Luke. You are a very different man. I believe that you didn't get up that morning and say to yourself, 'Today is the day I'm going to rape a woman'. You aren't that calculating. I don't think that you ever intentionally want to hurt anybody." Stepping away from him, she leaned against the glass window, still facing him, "It all makes sense though."

Luke looked at her, quietly, "What does?"

"Your obsession with Laura. You hurt her in the worst possible way a man could ever hurt a woman. Yet you've also atoned for your sins. You've repented in your own way, and, again in your own way, you've asked for forgiveness. You've made it your life's mission to protect her, whether you are her husband or not. I understand now, Luke, it's all very clear to me. I know that you love me, and I know that you don't constantly look at Laura and wonder if the grass is greener. I also know that you now view yourself as the one who needs to keep her safe, to make sure that she isn't hurt again."

He nodded and slowly crossed towards her, cupping her face in his hands and looking into her eyes, whispering softly, "That night was hell for me, but one good thing did come out of it. Layla. I do love you, Tracy. You were not my first love, but you are definitely my last one." Leaning down, he brushed his lips across hers for the briefest of seconds. Pulling back, he looked at her, "Thank you for not judging me."

Tracy took a deep breath, "Husband, you just remember this time the next time I throw something at you out of left field."

Luke looked at her for a moment and caught the glint in her eye and chuckled softly. Nodding, he picked her hand up and kissed her knuckles and led her to the bed where the two laid in silence, each wrapped up in the arms of the other.


	7. Chapter 7

-7-

The following morning, Layla was awoken by the sound of the phone ringing. Groaning, she reached over and grabbed the phone and pressed it to her ear, not bothering to wake up, "Hello?"

"Good morning, sunshine!"

Layla sighed heavily, annoyance thick in her voice, "Mark, what the hell do you want?"

Marcus Travis laughed softly, "Now is that anyway to speak to a former bed buddy?"

Layla sat up, sighing, "One night of drunk sex hardly qualifies you as a bed buddy, Mark. Besides, I didn't even know your name."

"Oh, but you let me go down on you multiple times," he pointed out, amusement in his voice.

Running a hand through her mane of curls, she shrugged as she held the phone to her ear with her shoulder, "Yeah, well, I'm easy. Sue me."

Travis laughed, "Glad you said that and not me. There is a point to this call."

"Oh wow," Layla said sarcastically, "you mean you didn't call just to harass me?"

"No," he responded, his voice suddenly serious, "did you meet your parents?"

She nodded quietly, drawing her knees up to her chest, "Yeah," she answered softly, "I met them last night."

Marcus sat back in his chair in his office, his feet propped up onto his desk, "What are they like?"

"Complete opposites of each other. She's very refined, sophisticated, cultured. He's eccentric, rough around the edges, I have the feeling that he was quite the bad boy in his day."

"You like the bad boys," he pointed out.

"Ugh," Layla said, disgust in her voice, "Marcus, he's my father. I don't need that image in my head." She sighed as she flopped back down onto the pillows and turned onto her side, "How are things out there in the City of Angels?"

"Demonic," Travis responded dryly. "I'm actually glad you weren't around last night. A seven year old girl was brought in with a broken leg, courtesy of Mommie Dearest."

The woman sighed heavily and shook her head, "Some people just need to be sterilized."

"Agreed," he said and then grinned, despite the fact that she couldn't see it, "your porn star was here last night looking for you."

Layla's ears perked. "Really?" It was not common knowledge that she had recently begun to date a man who was an actor in the adult entertainment industry. Having met him during a wild weekend with the girls in Las Vegas, the vivacious doctor convinced the former Chippendale to come to Los Angeles and try his hand, so to speak, at porn. Twelve direct to DVD movies later, the two were closer than ever. "How is my own personal Mr. Big?"

Marcus winced, "TMI, Lay. He's fine, asked about you. Told him you were out in New York on a seminar and wouldn't be back for a few weeks."

"Hey, listen," she said, "they want me to go to Port Charles with them. So I may be gone for a few more weeks. Think you can square it with Thatcher?"

Travis sighed, "What makes you think I have that kind of clout?"

Grinning, Layla responded, "Because I know that you are her Mr. Big."

Marcus groaned loudly, "Fine, fine, but enough with the 'Sex and the City' jokes. I'll speak with Thatcher when I see her."

"I owe you," she said and then glanced at the clock, "I should go. I need to shower and get to that seminar and then I'm meeting Luke and Tracy."

Her friend sat up and then smiled softly, "Have a blast in PC. Let me know how it goes."

"Oh believe me, I will," Layla promised. "I just may call you in hysterics a few nights."

"I won't answer," he said, adding with a grin, "I'll be too busy living up to my nickname as Mr. Big." That said, Marcus hung up the phone before Layla could respond.

Laughing, she hung the receiver up and went to shower.

"No, Dillon, Luke and I are not getting a divorce and I'm not coming back to Port Charles by myself."

Tracy sighed as she ran a hand through her auburn hair and glanced up as her husband came into the room from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. "Listen, you can tell Daddy that just for that, I'm never divorcing Luke and I'm going to insist that Luke stay for every holiday meal, simply to torture him."

Luke winced at the thought of spending every holiday with the Quartermaines and then sighed as he grabbed a piece of toast and popped it into his mouth. Glancing at his wife, made a goofy face at her and blew her a kiss, knowing it'd break her concentration.

Catching the look, Tracy gave him a smirk, "Listen, we'll be in Port Charles this afternoon. Tell everybody that I want them there when we get back, we have an announcement to make. I love you, I'll see you later." Without further preamble, she hung up the phone and looked at her husband. "You need to get dressed."

"Easy, wife, easy. We've got time."

"Luke, I'm anxious to get out of this hotel room." Tracy pointed out.

"And it will only take me ten minutes to throw on some jeans and a shirt. Chill out, Tracy," Luke responded, handing her a glass of orange juice.

Sighing softly, Tracy took a healthy drink of it and then set the glass down. "How do we break the news?"

"Gently," Luke answered, sitting down next to her. "Laura really has no room to talk. We aren't married and she's back with," he paused and made a face, "Baldwin. Eddie will probably pop the vein in his forehead, Ned will have a conniption fit, Lulu will go into dramatic 12 year old girl mode and think it's all about her and Lucky will just get angry and think it's one more thing I kept from him."

"But you didn't know," Tracy pointed out.

"Won't matter. When he found out about the rape, he got so angry with Laura and I he didn't speak to either of us for months."

She sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead. "I can understand him being angry with you, but not with Laura."

"Laura stayed with me despite it all," he pointed out. Shaking his head, he leaned over and kissed her cheek, "I don't want to rehash this all again."

"No," Tracy agreed, "Nor do I. It's your past and it will stay as such."

"I appreciate that," Luke remarked. Glancing at the clock, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, "I'm going to get dressed now, Spanky Buns."

Tracy nodded as she watched him head into the bathroom. Standing up, she began to pack their bags, calling out to him, "Don't forget, we need to find something to do this afternoon. Layla has her seminar and won't be able to leave till after two."

"We'll figure something out," he called back to her. "Maybe we can hit SoHo or something."

"SoHo??" Tracy sighed, "Luke, SoHo is full of bohemians."

"So?" Luke asked, coming out of the bathroom, buckling his belt. "It's neat over there. Lots of culture."

"And muggings too, I bet."

Her husband rolled his eyes, "Don't worry your pretty little head, Spanky, I'll protect you."

Tracy went over to him, dramatically, "My hero."

Luke laughed and wrapped an arm around her, "Just don't expect me to put on tights and a cape anytime soon."

"Oh well, damn," Tracy said, walking away from him and grabbing her purse, "that was a kink of mine that I wanted to introduce one night soon."

Laughing some more, he escorted his wife out of the room.


End file.
